Feast of Our Lady of Walsingham
Feast Day: 24th September
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Mass Homily for 25th Sunday Yr.3.
LET PRAYERS BE OFFERED……
The essential lesson of the parable of the unjust steward is that we should know how to cultivate friends for ourselves who will be able to intercede for us before the Lord when we are in need of his mercy. Jesus’ lesson is stark and simple. He doesn’t elaborate on how we are to cultivate these friends beyond telling us one of the ways viz to be generous with our money in helping others.
But there are, of course, many other ways we can help our neighbour in his need. We can be generous with our time, and our compassion, for instance. Especially can we help others with our prayers. And so often it is the only thing we can do for them.
For so many people religion is just a matter of treating others as one would have others treat oneself. That includes a bit of alms giving of course, but the concept of prayer doesn’t even enter into their heads.
St Paul, however, in today’s first reading instructs the new Bishop Timothy on this very important aspect of the life of the Church. He tells him that: first of all, prayers must be offered for everyone – petitions, intercessions and thanksgiving – and especially for kings and others in authority.
Paul teaches here that the Church must not only teach her children to pray but must recognise herself as the officially appointed Mediator and Organ of Prayer for the intentions of all of God’s People.
There is much more to prayer than just entering into our chamber and praying in secret, praiseworthy and recommended by the Lord himself though that be. But this same Lord also said that where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
I would like to use this teaching of St Paul to take a closer look at the place of the monastic life in the Church. The whole Church is, of course, a praying Church. But how many individual members of the Church play much of a role in this praying-life of the Church? Therefore it is most fitting and most spiritually beautiful that the Church search among her children for those who will dedicate their whole lives in a very special way to a life of prayer, of thanksgiving and of intercession. The Church finds such souls in those who feel called to the monastic life particularly. She commissions them to undertake the solemn obligation of the daily choral Office in her name and on behalf of all her children.
This is a great calling indeed and is well described in that lovely hymn we have at Thursday Vespers. I will just conclude by reading it for you.
The day thou gavest, Lord, is ended.
To thee our morning hymns ascended,
Thy praise shall sanctify our rest.
We thank thee that thy Church unsleeping
While earth rolls onward into light,
Through all the world her watch is keeping
And rests not now by day or night,
As o’er each continent and island
The dawn leads on another day,
The voice of prayer is never silent,
Nor dies the strain of praise away.
The sun that bids us rest is waking
Our brethren ’neath the western sky,
And hour by hour fresh lips are making
Thy wondrous doings heard on high.
Like earth’s proud empires, pass away
Thy Kingdom stands and grows for ever
Till all thy creatures own thy sway.
God bless.
Fr Raymond
1 comment:
In response to Abbot Raymond's Homily.
I think I would rather dig, or even beg, than try playing such a master 'at his own game' - after all, in the parable, the master commended the unjust steward (dishonest manager), so perhaps the old adage applies, 'it takes one to know one'? Also, the folk who might then be considered a safe bet to invite me into their own homes would be (a) so afraid of the master and his connections that they would not acknowledge me, and (b) nor would they ever trust me; and any that did invite me would be inviting me to use me in shady dealings! Such astuteness (JB) or shrewdness (NRSV) that was commended would be a dangerous game. To "cultivate friends for ourselves who will be able to intercede for us... (one of the ways) by being generous with our money" would have been resisting the firm's sales policy (!) and this would probably have resulted in the steward being sacked at the start by his master as one who would not be manipulated. However, those who knew the true story might well then offer the hand of friendship. But in our world would it make a difference whether the steward so refused to be manipulated on purely moral grounds or because of his religious beliefs?
Being overly religious can produce negative responses... "for so many people religion is just a matter of treating others as one would have others treat oneself"... which reduces religion to merely moral values - at best, and at worst self-interest. So how does the world understand the response 'I am a Christian?' One of the people I know actually asked me, 'what do you do' when on retreat at the Abbey, which was to ask a much deeper question, namely 'what do they do at the Abbey'? Abbot Raymond, you provide a perfect answer, "we help others with our prayers". But the concept, indeed the significance of prayer, is very foreign to many (or most) people... "prayer doesn’t even enter into their heads".
How do we correct the most fundamental misconception of today? Individually I feel much like a witness 'on the edge'. Indeed "the Church must not only teach her children to pray but must recognise herself as the officially appointed Mediator and Organ of Prayer for the intentions of all of God’s People" - we NEED "the Church [to] teach... [and to] recognise herself..." ...my own spirituality cannot, on its own, carry the weight or the demands of the aspirations of the Spirit which I feel in pray. I cannot be a solitary gunner in the army trench without the supply line. I need the array of the spiritual powers of the Church. [BUT] "how many individual members of the Church play much of a role in this praying-life of the Church?" Abbot Raymond, you once replied to me when I was concerned at the constant demands made upon you when you were Guestmaster that the real work was being done up at the Abbey..."the solemn obligation of the daily choral Office in her name and on behalf of all her children. This is a great calling indeed". I recall reading Thomas Merton's words written at the outbreak of war... that it was the prayers of the Church that prevented a descent into total chaos.
I have often wondered why so few men and women are able to follow the monastic path, and I think I have found a reason which shows itself in parish life today; namely in the reluctance of many to go to confession. At confession one is face-to-face with one's own inner spirituality, one's own conception of God before God - so very different from contentedly saying the act of contrition in common. How much greater the demand to face one's own spirituality, one's conception of God, surrounded by the presence of God in the Great Silence of monastic life and to carry the lantern of one's own faith with spiritual courage before the inner composure of the members of a monastic community. Faith is our own lantern, and in the parish congregation, all can 'share' the the light: a novice, however, can take light by way of encouragement and example from his Abbot and his Novice Master, but if when the door closes on his cell, if he cannot sustain his own light of faith, he cannot 'share' another's. The virgins in the Gospel were all to know the measure of the oil of their faith, to guard their spiritual reserve. Individually "our faith must persuade us" of the value of prayer, the light of our faith, sustained by the oil of our spirituality.
Much to ponder upon, and as always to challenge - Thank you.
Yours, ...
William.
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